Dispenser carton for nested articles

ABSTRACT

A dispenser carton for holding nested articles such as paper cups or the like. The carton includes a sleeve formed of foldably interconnected panels, each of the panels having a flap foldably connected thereto and foldable to position to define a closure element. Each flap has a weakened line to define a removable closure portion and a fixed closure portion. Upon removal of the removable part an opening is created, the edge of which engages the sides of the lowermost of the stack of nested articles.

United States Patent [72] lnventor Oscar E. Salazar Catia-Caracas, Venezuela 21 Appl. No. 9,527

[22] Filed Feb. 9, 1970 [45] Patented Dec. 7, 1971 [73] Assignee Container Corporation of America Chicago, Ill.

[54] DISPENSER CARTON FOR NESTED ARTICLES 5 Claims, 6 Drawing Fig 52] u.s.c|..;. 221/63, 221/302 511 lnt.Cl. B65h 3/00 50 FieldolSearch ..221/31,32,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,633,983 6/1927 Dawson et a1. 221/302 X 2,926,813 3/1960 Marion 221/63 3,155,276 11/1964 Williamson et al. 221/305 X Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner- David A. Scherbel Attorney-Carpenter, Ostis and Lindberg ABSTRACT: A dispenser carton for holding nested articles such as paper cups or the like. The carton includes a sleeve formed of foldably interconnected panels, each of the panels having a flap foldably connected thereto and foldable to position to define a closure element. Each flap has a weakened line to define a removable closure portion and a fixed closure portion. Upon removal of the removable part an opening is created, the edge of which engages the sides of the lowermost of the stack of nested articles.

PATENTED nic nan 3.625395 In v enizr Oac'arlffiala ar' DISPENSER CARTON FOR NESTED ARTICLES It is a principal object of the invention to provide a dispenser carton formed form a sleeve having lower closure flaps folded into position to define a closure, each flap being provided with a weakened line to define a removable portion, which upon removal with like removable portions defines an essentially circular opening the edge of which engages the lower most of a stack of nested articles within the carton.

THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser carton according to the present invention, showing the same in position for dispensing a paper cup or the like;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a cut and scored blank for forming the carton of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing how the carton closure elements are folded into position;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the closure in assembled position, certain parts being broken away;

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the removable portion of the closure; and

FIG. 6 is a transverse section taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. I looking the direction of the arrows, and showing the manner in which the dispenser carton supports articles therein.

The dispenser carton for nested articles is referred to by the reference numeral 10 and is formed from a cut and scored blank 10A consisting of panels 11, 12, 13 and 14 connected in series by fold lines 16. A glue flap I7 is connected to panel 14 along a score line 18, and when connected to panel 11 a carton sleeve is formed.

The opposed inner closure flaps 19 are foldable with respect to the panels 11 and 13 by fold line 21. Opposed outer closure flaps 22 are each foldable with respect to panels 12 and 14 by the same fold line 21.

The opposite ends of panels 11 to 14 inclusive are provided with closure structure consisting of opposed closure flaps 24 connected to panels 1 1 and 13 along a continuous fold line 26. Each of said flaps is provided with a locking slit arranged to cooperate with each other to form an inner upper closure. An outer closure flap 28 is hingedly connected to panel 12 by fold line 26, and has a tuck flap 29 extending therefrom and foldably connected thereto along a fold line 31.

The structure thus far described is provided with a hanger 32 formed from panel portions 33 series connected along fold lines 34. The innermost of such panel portions 33 is hingedly connected to panel 14 by the fold line 26. Each of panel portions 33 has an aperture A therein which moves into register with similar aperture A when the same are folded into face to face relationship along fold lines 34, and carton 10 is thereby enabled to be hung as shown.

The structure according to the present invention is arranged to retain a plurality of stacked articles such as paper cups PC seen in FIGS. 1 and 16. Such paper cups PC are stacked within container 10 to be dispensed from the lower end thereof, when the lower closure elements previously described are formed in the manner recited and are removed as will now be described.

Lower closure flaps l9 and 22 are accordingly each provided with weakened lines 36 each being provided with a central curved portion 37 which is tangent to fold line 21. Each central curved portion 37 is provided with flanking curved portions 38 which intersect the edges of the closure flaps 19 and 22 as seen in FIG. 1. The inner closure flaps 19 are first folded into an abutting relationship and closure outer flaps 22 are then connected to inner closure flaps 19 at glue patches GP on inner closure flaps 19.

Each of the closure flaps l9 and 22, by reason of the weakened line 36, has a removable portion which is enabled to be served from the corresponding flaps and thereby removed as a unit as seen in FIGS.

In so doing an opening 42 IS provided at the lower end of the carton 10, such opening being essentially circular. By reason of the configuration of the curved piston 37 and 38 thereof, a plurality of cups 43 are provided as seen in FIG. 4.

Irrespective of whether said paper cups PC have flanges as seen in FIG. 6, the construction is such that the lowermost one of such cups extends below the opening 42 where it may be engaged by the hand for removal of same.

I claim: I

l. A dispenser carton for holding nested articles such as paper cups or the like dispensing the same, said carton being formed from a cut and scored blank of paperboard or the like and comprising:

a. a plurality of hingedly interconnected panels forming a hollow sleeve;

b. closure flaps foldably connected to the at least one end of said panels and foldable to position and secured together to define an end closure for said sleeve;

c. each of said flaps being provided with a weakened line defining a removable closure portion and a fixed closure portion;

d. the removal of said removable closure portion leaving a free edge on said fixed closure portion defining an essentially circular opening;

e. said free edge engaging the side of the lower most of a stack of nested articles extending through said opening whereby said lowermost article may be disengaged from said stack.

2. A dispenser carton according to claim 1 wherein the opening in said fixed closure portion has cuplike extensions therefrom for engaging the lowermost article.

3. A dispenser according to claim 1 wherein said panels have closure flaps at the opposite end thereof including a flap for suspending said carton from a fixed object.

4. A dispenser according to claim I wherein each of said closure flaps has a scored and perforated line including a central curved portion flanked by portions tangent thereto.

5. A dispenser according to claim 4 wherein said central curved portion is substantially tangent to the line of fold between its associated closure flap and the panel foldably connected thereto. 

1. A dispenser carton for holding nested articles such as paper cups or the like and dispensing the same, said carton being formed from a cut and scored blank of paperboard or the like and comprising: a. a plurality of hingedly interconnected panels forming a hollow sleeve; b. closure flaps foldably connected to at least one end of said panels and foldable to position and secured together to define an end closure for said sleeve; c. each of said flaps being provided with a weakened line defining a removable closure portion and a fixed closure portion; d. the removal of said removable closure portion leaving a free edge on said fixed closure portion defining an essentially circular opening; e. said free edge engaging the side of the lowermost of a stack of nested articles extending through said opening whereby said lowermost article may be disengaged from said stack.
 2. A dispenser carton according to claim 1 wherein the opening in said fixed closure portion has cap-like extensions therefrom for engaging the lowermost article.
 3. A dispenser according to claim 1 wherein said panels have closure flaps at the opposite end thereof including a flap for suspending said carton from a fixed object.
 4. A dispenser according to claim 1 wherein each of said closure flaps has a scored and perforated line including a central curved portion flanked by portions tangent thereto.
 5. A dispenser according to claim 4 wherein said central curved portion is substantially tangent to the line of fold between its associated closure flap and the panel foldably connected thereto. 